§1854 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Cutting, chipping, chopping, or boxing trees on U.S. public land or on land tied to an unfinished federal land claim to get pitch, turpentine, or similar substances can lead to punishment. A person can be fined under federal law, jailed for up to one year, or both. Anyone who buys, trades for, or otherwise gets those substances or items made from them, knowing they were taken that way, faces the same penalties.

Title 18, §1854

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever cuts, chips, chops, or boxes any tree upon any lands belonging to the United States, or upon any lands covered by or embraced in any unperfected settlement, application, filing, entry, selection, or location, made under any law of the United States, for the purpose of obtaining from such tree any pitch, turpentine, or other substance; or Whoever buys, trades for, or in any manner acquires any pitch, turpentine, or other substance, or any article or commodity made from any such pitch, turpentine, or other substance, with knowledge that the same has been so unlawfully obtained— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 105 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 51, 35 Stat. 1098). Reference to persons aiding, encouraging, or causing was deleted as unnecessary since such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title. Maximum fine was increased from $500 to $1,000 to conform to other comparable sections of this chapter. (See section 1851 and 1852 of this title.) Minor changes also were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in last par.

§1854 Trees Boxed for Pitch or Turpentine